Chapter Text
Hornet rushed in towards the armored fly, trusting that her newly gained strength would be more than enough to deal with this new foe. The fly rushed to meet her, taking a swing with the bronze cage it used as a weapon. Hornet easily avoided its strike by pogoing off of the cage, a reverberation traveling up her arm as she did so. Landing behind the fly, she struck out with her needle, scoring a deep mark into the fly’s side. It let out a shriek of pain and leapt backward into the air. Hornet smirked, this should be easy.
Distracted by her own confidence, she didn’t notice the fly reaching for something until it was too late. The fly threw some kind of grey goo at her. She tried to dodge out of the way but was hit dead on by the goo, its weight driving her to the ground. The goo soaked through her cloak, sticking it to her skin and outlining her body. What was more worrying however was that it pinned her to the ground stopping her from dodging out of the way.
Hornet struggled furiously, trying to get out of the goo. Hornet tried to use her needle as a lever to pull herself up. The goo stretched with her, connecting her to the ground. Standing up, Hornet’s muscles shook under the tension of the goo. She was able to hold it for only a second before her muscles gave out. The goo pulled her down with a squelch. Hornet cursed at herself, all she’d managed to do was tire herself out and get herself more entangled.
Hornet looked up at the fly, she couldn't see behind its helmet but she could have sworn it was smirking at her. As it started floating over to her, Hornet started struggling again. She needed to find some way to get out of this goo before the fly swung at her again. She didn’t want to be hit by something strong enough to use a cage as a weapon.
As the fly arrived above her Hornet stopped struggling, her cloak now outlined, her chest rose up and down as she gasped for air. The fly paused only for a moment before it swung the cage downward, Hornet’s eyes reflexively closed as she braced herself for the burst of pain. Instead she heard a loud click. Her eyes shot open to find herself in the cage. Indignation blossomed in her chest, she had sworn she would not be caged again.
In a burst of strength she swung her needle into the bars causing the cage to reverberate around her, but it didn't break. The fly leapt atop the cage placing both hands on it. Hornet pulled herself up by the bars of the cage and was preparing her needle for another strike when–
THRUM
Hornet fell to her knees, light headed. What had just happened? She tried to stand up again, and stab the fly through the bars but before she could do so—
THRUM
Lying on the floor of the cage, now firmly caked in goo, Hornet realized that her strength was being sapped away by the cage. She desperately swung her Needle at the door trying to break it open.
THRUM
Her needle fell out of her hand as she became too weak to hold it. All she could do now was at the fly above her as it pressed its hands into the cage. Its gaze met hers and it paused, speaking for the first time,
“You going to beg? Offer me rosiers?”
Hornet tilted her head in defiance, not even bothering to answer the nasally voiced bug.
“Its all the same to me, we take your rosaries anyways, but I got a feeling that your going to make us a lot more than that”
The fly grinned at her, as the cage thrummed one more time. Hornet used the last of her strength to let out a cry as she was knocked into unconsciousness.